<div>Looking to fund the next generation of filmmakers? We're raising funds for 'DM', an experimental contemporary drama by London-based writer David Heal, whose work explores modern masculinity, queerness, and emotional vulnerability with sharp humour and unflinching honesty.
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<div><strong>What is this project about?</strong>
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<div>DM is the story of a conflicted young man who unexpectedly runs into his ex, sending him spiralling into a mental and emotional journey through their past relationship.
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<div>Blurring the line between reality and fantasy, DM explores how obsession and nostalgia can fracture one's sense of truth. The audience, along with the protagonist 'D', begins to question whether he had truly bumped into his ex, 'M', at all — or if he's been trapped in a memory of what once was.
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<div>Originally conceived as a stage play told through monologues, the film version takes a different approach: it shows two people falling love, while something beneath the surface always feels slightly off.
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<div>Like life, the film doesn’t offer clear answers about love or loss, as those must be figured out along the way.
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<div>DM powerfully examines men's mental health by portraying the emotional isolation, suppressed vulnerability and psychological unravelling of a man struggling to process heartbreak. It reveals how unspoken grief and lack of support can blur reality, leading to destructive coping mechanisms and deep internal conflict.
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<div><strong>Our vision: setting &amp; mood</strong>
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<div>We will be shooting DM around North and East London, putting the main focus on Walthamstow. These streets, stations and interiors aren't just backdrops; they hold a personal connection to the writer and reflect the emotional texture of the story.
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<div>We want to make DM a visually striking, emotionally layered story that explores the fine line between memory and reality. We need the world of DM to have contrasts between the muted, monochrome, urban tones, and flashes of red and neon-tinged environments. Red will be a motif as a way of portraying obsession, passion and the impossible task of forgetting. Our vision is to keep the audience guessing whether certain scenes are the protagonist's memories, or his reality.
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<div><strong>The team behind the scenes</strong>
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<div><strong>Director - Zoe Gunn</strong>
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<div><a href="https://zoegunn.myportfolio.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Website</a>
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<div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/zoe.gunn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>
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<div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/zee2ayy_productions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Production Company Instagram</a>
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<div>Zoe Gunn is a dynamic and innovative director and producer, specialising in music videos and commercial content. With a distinct visual style and a strong sense of storytelling, she has worked with a range of artists and brands to craft memorable, high-impact visuals that resonate with audiences. As the founder of her own production company, she leads creative projects from concept to completion, blending artistic vision with strategic execution. Her work is known for its bold aesthetics, attention to detail, and ability to elevate both emerging and established talent.
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<div><strong>Director of Photography - Arran Green</strong>
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<div><a href="https://www.arrangreen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Website</a>
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<div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/arrangreen/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>
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<div>Arran Green is a skilled and versatile cinematographer known for his striking visual storytelling and creative camera work. With a strong background in music videos, he has collaborated with a range of artists to craft bold, cinematic imagery that enhances each project's unique tone and energy. His work extends to narrative series, where he brings depth, atmosphere, and a cinematic edge to episodic storytelling. Arran's ability to adapt his visual style across formats makes him a standout voice behind the camera, consistently delivering compelling and polished visuals across all his work.
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<div><strong>Writer - David Heal</strong>
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<div>David Heal is a London-based writer and performer. His work blends autobiographical detail with surreal flourishes - but its purpose reaches beyond autobiography. David sees DM as a stepping stone towards shifting how male emotionality is portrayed on screen. He hopes to challenge the cultural silence around men's inner lives and create space for vulnerability, sensitivity and complexity. It captures the messy aftermath of love and the lengths we go to, to preserve what's already lost. But DM is more than a breakup story - it's a quiet act of rebellion against emotional suppression.
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<div><strong>Meet the characters</strong>
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<li><strong>D</strong> - <em>Played by David Heal</em>
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<div>D is emotionally intelligent but emotionally stuck. A man trying to intellectualise his heartbreak while quietly falling apart. Exterior is calm, but beneath the surface he's obsessive, tender and unravelling in silence. D represents a rarely-seen version of masculinity: emotionally saturated, self-aware, but unsure how to let go.
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<li><strong>M</strong> - <em>Played by Adele Marie</em>
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<div>M is bold, mysterious and always one step ahead. She is able to disarm with a glance or a well timed question. She's captivating without trying, showcasing both vulnerability and power. M lingers like a song you can't forget. She shapes the emotional world of the film whether she's there or not.
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<li><strong>Dates 1-5</strong>
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<div>We have five dates D goes out on to symbolise the five stages of grief. Each date stands alone, but woven through them all is a single thread: a quiet, unmistakable touch of red.
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<div>Thank you so much for your donations, each one really makes a difference!
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<div>Please spread the word about this project by sharing. We believe this story needs to shown and told to the world and from your help, we will be able to achieve that.
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Elizabeth Hulse

Cosmo Coulter

Anonymous

Tom Fisher

Zoe Gunn

Jaqueline Heal

Martin Hulse

Sue Holderness

Emma Hulse

Kate Doran

Rebecca Scott

Amy Goodwin

Ben Donovan

Shaheen Zaman

Odelia Dizel-Cubuca

Kim Ogden

Bella Donald

Karol Stanisz

Short Film 'DM' Fund

Short Film 'DM' Fund

Still £1,595 to go. Help us build momentum.